Set on the edge of a picture-postcard village in the stunning Dee Valley, this converted shooting lodge and stalwart of the restaurant-with-rooms scene is all about elegance and comfort. Bryan and Susan Webb make a formidable double act (he mans the kitchen, she takes care of front of house), and the restaurant’s fans are legion – locals keep coming back for the superlative aged Welsh Black steak ‘au poivre’.
Bryan has Welsh blood in his veins and tips his hat to local food heroes – although his beautifully presented, Michelin-starred dishes show a confident French foundation and an emphasis on bright Mediterranean flavours: griddled scallops with cauliflower purée, pancetta, caper and raisin dressing; Goosnargh duck breast with morteau sausage, confit potato, cherry sauce and celeriac purée; new season’s lamb cutlets and slow-cooked breast with deep-fried garlic, vignole of peas, artichokes and broad beans. There are also a few more robustly patriotic riffs, including sea bass with laverbread, while puds might bring gooseberry and elderflower trifle. It’s all about dedicated seasonal sourcing and a clever use of top-drawer ingredients, with back-up from a lovingly collated and gently priced wine list.